You should know the importance of choosing the right materials such as building fabric, insulation, windows and much more, the pros and cons, the importance and be able to deduce what is the best solution for your home. You should be able to ask a builder specific questions that catch your attention. You should be able to tell from the contractor’s answers whether he knows his trade.

You should know about the most important building equipment such as heating, shading, air conditioning and ventilation, their advantages and necessity.

You should have got a feel for what is important when planning bathrooms, lighting, wiring, smart home functions, photovoltaics and much more based on numerous examples and use this knowledge in your house construction planning.

You should have understood which materials and equipment a modern, sustainably built house should have in order to come very close to autarky.

You should also have learnt which factors influence a good indoor climate and well-being for a healthy life in your future home.

In this lesson, we start with an introduction to Thomas, followed by an insight into BLOXS GmbH, its house models, its quality standards and the production of a house. We also look at the aim of the “Das Premium Haus” course, why we offer this course and what benefits you can gain from it. We also go into more detail about the structure and process of the entire course and the content of the following chapters. This lesson is rounded off with an outlook on other optional services offered by BLOXS GmbH, which you can also take advantage of if required.

Duration of this lesson: 54 min

In Lesson 02, we start with some facts about Germany and the construction industry in Germany. Building a house in Germany requires numerous authorisations, as the demands on a house are very high. For example, it must offer a high level of resistance to the forces of nature and this is checked mathematically beforehand. Subsequently, everything revolves around typical German houses. Which roof shapes are popular, what do typical German houses look like, which architectural features are present and much more. In order to provide a comparison with the regulations in your country, at the end we show the entire process for obtaining a building permit in Germany and provide further insights into what is regulated.

Duration of this lesson: 31 min

Lesson 03 is where we really get into the subject. What consequences does climate change actually have for house construction and how can we adapt modern houses to the new requirements? After a short digression into simple structural engineering explanations, we start with a big comparison of building materials. A house usually looks great from the outside, but the real features are in the outer walls. We compare popular construction methods such as lightweight construction versus solid construction. What are the advantages and disadvantages of building with, for example, timber frame construction, metal frames, solid bricks, solid wood walls and much more? And how does the construction method affect, for example, stability in the event of storms and earthquakes? Finally, we look at different foundation systems, because a foundation forms the important basis for a house. This course is definitely a must so that you decide on a structurally solid house for your location requirements.

Duration of this lesson: 62 min

Alongside the structural design, the choice of insulation material is one of the most important decisions when building a house. Unfortunately, many people do not realise this. The right insulation material has a massive impact on the well-being of the occupants of the house, on sound insulation and protection against heating by the sun. That’s why in Lesson 04 we will be focussing entirely on the most common insulation materials. We start by explaining the complex issue of the heat transfer coefficient, which you can use to assess the insulating properties of building components. Sounds complicated, but you’ll understand it. We then take a look at conventional insulation materials such as EPS, PUR and mineral wool as well as sustainable insulation materials such as hemp, cellulose and wood fibre. We explain the differences and, above all, their properties with advantages and disadvantages. This lesson is an absolute must for anyone who wants to build, buy or renovate a house.

Duration of this lesson: 40 min

Now we really get deep into German engineering. We take a look at the component structures of exterior walls and roofs. How should a good exterior wall be designed with timber frame construction, how with stone construction etc.? Which wall structures and wall thicknesses result in which insulation values. With this knowledge, you can find out whether your (planned) exterior walls are well insulated or not well insulated and how temperature differences will affect them. Absolute expertise that you can use to cause quite a stir with your contractor. After this section, you may feel like a little engineer – but the knowledge is powerful. We also take a look at common roof coverings, exterior façades and façade design with numerous examples and tips on the pros and cons. Finally, we enter the digital world with a few tips and tricks on how you can benefit from information from German companies and a really impressive online tool. Be curious!

Duration of this lesson: 49 min

Now that the previous lessons have helped us decide on the structural materials and insulation materials, Lesson 06 will look at windows and doors, as these components are also extremely expensive and require careful selection. We start by analysing the advantages and disadvantages of common window types such as plastic, aluminium, wooden and others. With numerous examples we will illustrate typical window designs, such as the lift and slide window. We also look at burglar protection, as this should play an important role in your home. Finally, we will look at glazing, as this also plays an important role in thermal insulation. An absolutely essential point – and one that many builders unfortunately neglect – is shading. To conclude this lesson, we will look at this in more detail.

Duration of this lesson: 62 min

In Lesson 07, we take a look at what makes a high-quality bathroom. This is less about the fittings and more about the construction method, which is later hidden in the wall. After all, damage to the bathroom usually results in huge repair costs. We take a look at how a high-quality bathroom is professionally built in Germany and which surface materials are popular. Good planning is the be-all and end-all when it comes to bathrooms. For this reason, we use numerous bathroom pictures to analyse what is good, clever and also impractical. We want to give you the best possible overview of what you should think about when planning your bathroom.

Duration of this lesson: 38 min

Lesson 08 is also an absolute must. After all, a modern house with strong insulation needs a perfect heating system, ideally combined with a ventilation and cooling function. In this lesson, we first focus on ventilation, as this is essential in a modern house and contributes immensely to the well-being of the occupants. Then it gets technical, as we look at the most common types of heating in Germany, conventional ones such as gas heating or pellet heating. The future, however, is heat pumps. We delve deep into the differences between heat pump systems and explain how each system works, with its advantages and disadvantages. By choosing the right heating system, a modern house can achieve near autarky. We also look at possible cooling functions that climate change makes necessary. This is an exciting chapter, as there have been major developments in this area in recent years.

Duration of this lesson: 63 min

An extremely important point in house construction planning is electrical planning. Power cables usually run through the walls and ceiling. Retrofitting is not only costly, but also makes a lot of mess. This makes it all the more important to think of many eventualities at the planning stage. To start with, we’ll get technical and explain a few basics of electrical engineering – but don’t worry, it’s easy to understand. In the second step, we provide numerous tips using examples from the areas of electricity, lighting, TV, Wi-Fi and much more, which you should pay attention to when planning. In the third section, we look at popular smart home functions and provide inspiration here too. In the fourth and final section, we explain the importance and usefulness of photovoltaics and show various scenarios. Also included: a look into the future of photovoltaics in conjunction with an electric car. This chapter is the perfect complement to Lesson 08, as, for example, the electricity for the heating system in the house should be generated via photovoltaics. In this lesson you will certainly experience a “I wouldn’t have thought of that” moment in many places. Get excited about it.

Duration of this lesson: 67 min